Providing information of tools by filtering image areas adjacent to or on displayed images of the tools

ABSTRACT

An operator telerobotically controls tools to perform a procedure on an object at a work site while viewing real-time images of the object, tools and work site on a display. Tool information is provided by filtering a part of the real-time images for enhancement or degradation to indicate a state of a tool and displaying the filtered images on the display.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to robotic systems and in particular, to a robotic system, and a method implemented therein, for providing information of tools by filtering image areas adjacent to or on displayed images of the tools.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a robotic system, one or more tools may be telerobotically controlled by an operator to perform a procedure on an object at a work site. A camera is provided at the work site to capture images of end effectors of the tools as they interact with the object to perform the procedure, so that the operator may view their movements on a display while telerobotically controlling the tools using associated input devices.

During the procedure, it may be useful to provide the operator with tool information such as whether a tool is energized at the time or which of a plurality of tools is energized at the time or which robotic arm is operatively coupled to a specific tool at the time. The tool information typically may be provided as text or a graphic in an area on the display that is not within a current gaze area of the operator, such as in a boundary area circumscribing the display viewing area or off to one side of the viewing area to avoid obscuring images of the end effectors and an object upon which the end effectors are performing a procedure at the time.

When the tool information is provided outside the gaze area of the operator, however, it may be distracting for the operator to visually find and/or associate the provided tool information with its corresponding tool because the operator's eyes must shift from the area in which the operator is currently gazing to another area on the display. In the case of a stereo display, the situation becomes even more complicated, because the operator's eyes not only have to shift vertically and horizontally around the display to find the tool information, they may also have to look for and focus on tool information at a different depth than the three-dimensional images of the object and tools that the operator is viewing at the time on a stereo vision display.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of one or more aspects of the present invention is a robotic system, and method implemented therein, that provides tool information within a gaze area of an operator as the operator is viewing an image of the tool on a display screen.

Another object of one or more aspects of the present invention is a robotic system, and method implemented therein, that provides tool information on a display that is easily associated to a tool being viewed at the time by an operator.

These and additional objects are accomplished by the various aspects of the present invention, wherein briefly stated, one aspect is a robotic system comprising: a tool; an image capturing device disposed to capture an image of a work site; and a processor configured to filter part, but not all of the image of the work site to indicate that the tool is energized; and cause the image of the work site with the filtered part to be displayed on the display.

Another aspect is a method for providing tool information on a display, the method comprising: capturing an image of a work site; filtering part, but not all of the image of the work site to indicate that a tool is energized; and displaying the image of the work site with the filtered part on a display.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the various aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of its preferred embodiment, which description should be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an operating room employing a robotic system utilizing aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a movable cart usable in a robotic system utilizing aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a tool usable in a robotic system utilizing aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a console usable in a robotic system utilizing aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for providing tool information on a display utilizing aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a simplified view of a display in which an image of an object is filtered according to the method of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a simplified view of a display in which an image of an object is filtered according to the method of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 illustrates a simplified view of a display in which an image of an end effector of a tool is filtered according to the method of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 illustrates a simplified view of a display in which an image of an end effector of a tool is filtered according to the method of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although a medical robotic system is described herein, it is to be appreciated that the various aspects of the invention are not to be limited to medical robotic systems. They are applicable to robotic systems in general.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an operating room in which a medical robotic system 1000 is being employed by a Surgeon (“S”) to perform a medical procedure on a Patient (“P”). The medical robotic system in this case is a Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgical (MIRS) system including a Console (“C”) utilized by the Surgeon while performing a minimally invasive diagnostic or surgical procedure on the Patient with assistance from one or more Assistants (“A”) while the Patient is on an Operating table (“O”).

The Console, as further described in reference to FIG. 4, includes a processor 43 which communicates with a movable cart 150 over a bus 110. A plurality of robotic arms 34, 36, 38 are included on the cart 150. A tool 33 is held and manipulated by robotic arm 36, another tool 35 is held and manipulated by robotic arm 34, and an endoscope 37 is held and manipulated by robotic arm 38. In this example, each of the tools 33, 35 and the endoscope 37 is introduced through its own entry aperture in the Patient. As an example, tool 33 is inserted into aperture 166 to enter the Patient.

The Surgeon performs the medical procedure by manipulating the input devices 41, 42 so that the processor 43 causes their respectively associated robotic arms 34, 36 to manipulate their respective removably coupled tools 33, 35 accordingly while the Surgeon views real-time images of a work site in three-dimensions (“3D”) on a stereo vision display 45 of the Console. A stereoscopic endoscope 37 (having left and right cameras for capturing left and right stereo views) captures stereo images of the work site. The processor 43 processes the stereo images so that they may be properly displayed on the stereo vision display 45.

Each of the robotic arms 34, 36, 38 is conventionally formed of links, such as link 162, which are coupled together and manipulated through actuatable joints, such as joint 163. Each of the robotic arms includes a setup arm and a slave manipulator. The setup arm positions its held tool so that a pivot point occurs at its entry aperture into the Patient. The slave manipulator may then manipulate its held tool or endoscope so that it may be pivoted about the pivot point, inserted into and retracted out of the entry aperture, and rotated about its shaft axis. The robotic arms 34, 36, 38 may be carted into the operating room via the cart 150 or alternatively, they may be attached to sliders on a wall or ceiling of the operating room.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the cart 150. In addition to the robotic arms 34, 36, 38, shown in FIG. 1, a fourth robotic arm 32 is shown in FIG. 2. The fourth robotic arm 32 is available so that another tool 31 may be introduced at the work site along with the tools 33, 35 and endoscope 37.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary tool 100 that may be used for either tool 33 or 35. The tool 100 comprises an interface housing 108, a shaft 104, an end effector 102, and a wrist mechanism 106 which includes one or more wrist joints. The interface housing 108 is removably attached to a robotic arm so as to be mechanically coupled to actuators (such as motors) in the slave manipulator of the attached robotic arm. Cables or rods, that are coupled to the actuators of the slave manipulator and extend through the shaft 104 from the interface housing 108 to the one or more wrist joints of the wrist mechanism 106 and to the jaws of the tool's end effector 102, actuate the wrist joints and jaws in a conventional manner. The slave manipulator may also manipulate the tool in pitch and yaw angular rotations about its pivot point at the entry aperture, manipulate the tool in a roll angular rotation about the tool's shaft axis, and insert and retract the tool along a rail on the robotic arm as commanded by the processor 43.

FIG. 4 illustrates, as an example, a front view of the Console usable in the medical robotic system 1000. The Console has left and right input devices 41, 42 which the user may grasp respectively with his/her left and right hands to manipulate associated devices, such as the tools 33, 35, in preferably six degrees-of-freedom (“DOF”). Foot pedals 44 with toe and heel controls are provided on the Console so the user may control movement and/or actuation of devices associated with the foot pedals. A processor 43 is provided in the Console for control and other purposes. The stereo vision display 45 is provided so that the user may view the work site in stereo vision from images captured by the stereoscopic camera of the endoscope 37. Left and right eyepieces, 46 and 47, are provided in the stereo vision display 45 so that the user may view left and right two-dimensional (“2D”) display screens inside the display 45 respectively with the user's left and right eyes.

The processor 43 performs various functions in the medical robotic system. One important function that it performs is to translate and transfer the mechanical motion of input devices 41, 42 through control signals over bus 110 to command actuators of their associated robotic arms to actuate their respective joints so that the Surgeon can effectively manipulate devices, such as the tools 33, 35, and endoscope 37. Another function is to perform various methods described herein. Although described as a processor, it is to be appreciated that the processor 43 may be implemented by any combination of hardware, software and firmware. Also, its functions as described herein may be performed by one unit or divided up among different components, each of which may be implemented in turn by any combination of hardware, software and firmware. Further, although being shown as part of or being physically adjacent to the Console, the processor 43 may also comprise a number of subunits distributed throughout the system.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,939 B2 entitled “Cooperative Minimally Invasive Telesurgical System,” which is incorporated herein by reference, provides additional details on a medical robotic system such as described herein.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method implemented in the processor 43 of the robotic system 1000 for providing tool information on the display 45. In block 5001, the method determines the information that is to be displayed for the tools 33, 35. As an example, the tool information may include information of which of the tools is electrically active or energized at the time for cauterization or other purposes. In the present example, it is determined that tool 33 has been energized. The determination may be made in this case using information interactively provided using conventional means by the operator of the system and/or information pre-programmed into the system.

In block 5002, the method determines the current pose (i.e., position and orientation) of the tool 33 in its tool reference frame. Each tool is operatively coupled to a robotic arm that manipulates the tool according to control commands generated by the processor 43 in response to operator manipulation of its associated input device. The manipulation of the tool is relative to a pivot point, which serves as origin for the tool reference frame. Determination of the current pose for each tool may be performed by using kinematics of the robotic arm and/or other well known techniques. Additional details may be found, for example, in U.S. 2006/0258938 A1 entitled “Methods and System for Performing 3-D Tool Tracking by Fusion of Sensor and/or Camera Derived Data during Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

In block 5003, the method translates the determined tool pose in the tool reference frame to a tool pose in an image reference frame which is from the perspective of the stereo camera of the endoscope 37. As an example, the tool pose in the tool reference frame may first be translated to a tool pose in a fixed reference frame using a previously determined transform for the tool reference frame to the fixed reference. The tool pose in the fixed reference frame may then be translated to a tool pose in a camera reference frame using a previously determined transform from the fixed reference frame to the camera reference frame. Finally, the tool pose in the camera reference frame may be translated to a tool pose in the image reference frame using previously determined information of the camera pose in the camera reference frame. Additional details for such translations and transforms may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,885 entitled “Camera Referenced Control in a Minimally Invasive Surgical Apparatus”, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In block 5004, the method determines an area of the image of the work site which is to be filtered so as to indicate the tool 33 has been energized. The determination of the area to be filtered depends on a number of factors including the current pose of the tool 33 and the type of filtering to be employed to indicate the tool 33 is being energized. The area to be filtered is part, but not all of the image of the work site.

In block 5005, the method filters the determined area of the work site and displays the filtered image along with unfiltered images of the remainder of the work site in the display 45.

FIGS. 6-9 illustrates, as examples, simplified stereo views of the stereo vision display 45 from the perspective of an operator of the system 1000 after employing the method of FIG. 5 to provide tool information on the display 45. A viewing area 602 displays images which have been processed to provide telepresence from images of the work site captured by the stereo camera of the endoscope 37. An optional boundary area 601 circumscribes the viewing area 602. In prior systems, tool information may be provided in the boundary area 601. The boundary area 601, however, is generally outside a gaze area of the operator since the operator's eyes are focusing on images of end effectors 333, 353 of the tools 33, 35 on the display 45 as the end effectors 333, 353 interact with the object 610 at the work site to perform a procedure on the object 610.

As examples of blocks 5004 and 5005, an area of the image of the object 610, such as area 611 of FIG. 6, may be selected for enhancement if the type of filtering is to enhance the image of the object 610 near or adjacent the tool 33 which is being energized at the time. In this case, the image of the remainder of the object 610, such as area 612 of FIG. 6, is unfiltered (i.e., normal) along with images of the remainder of the work site. Enhancement in this case may comprise improving the contrast, clarity, and/or brightness in the area. Alternatively, an area of the image of the object 610, such as area 613 of FIG. 7, may be selected for non-filtering if the type of filtering is to degrade the image of the object 610 that is not adjacent to the tool 33 which is being energized at the time. In this second case, the image of the remainder of the object 610, such as area 614 of FIG. 7, that is not adjacent to the tool 33, which is being energized at the time, is degraded along with images of the remainder of the work site. Degradation in this case may include desaturation to remove color content of the areas. As another example, the image of the end effector of the tool being energized at the time may be selected if the type of filtering is to make the end effector appear to be glowing, such as the end effector 333 of tool 33 shown in FIG. 8. The image of the end effector of the tool being energized at the time may also be selected if the type of filtering is make the end effector appear to have an aura, such as the end effector 333 of tool 33 shown in FIG. 9. In this case, the glow and/or aura may be temporary so that it fades away after the tool is initially energized or it may continue as long as the tool is being energized. Alternatively, or in addition to, filtering the images of the end effectors 333, 353 as described above, images of the wrists 332, 352 and/or images of the shafts 331, 351 of the tools 33, 35 may be filtered in the same manner.

Although the various aspects of the present invention have been described with respect to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the invention is entitled to full protection within the full scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a tool having a working end; an image capturing device disposed to capture an image of a work site, the image of the work site including an image of an object and an image of the working end of the tool, the image of the object including an image of a first portion of the object and an image of a second portion of the object, the first portion of the object being adjacent to or near the tool, and the second portion of the object being the remainder of the object; a display; and a processor programmed to: determine that the tool has been energized for cauterization; and conditioned upon determining that the tool has been energized for cauterization: filter the image of the first portion of the object to generate a filtered image and indicate in the filtered image that the tool is energized for cauterization by improving at least one of: contrast and brightness in the first portion, but not filter the image of the second portion of the object; and cause the image of the work site, with the filtered first portion and the non-filtered second portion, to be displayed on the display.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device comprises a stereo camera, wherein the display is a stereo viewer, and wherein the image of the work site is a three-dimensional image of the work site.
 3. A method for providing tool information on a display, the method comprising: an image capturing device capturing an image of a work site, the image of the work site including an image of an object and an image of the working end of the tool, the image of the object including an image of a first portion of the object and an image of a second portion of the object, the first portion of the object being adjacent to or near the tool, and the second portion of the object being the remainder of the object; a processor determining whether or not the tool has been energized for cauterization; and conditioned upon the processor determining that the tool has been energized for cauterization: the processor filtering the image of the first portion of the object to generate a filtered image and indicate in the filtered image that the tool is energized for cauterization by improving at least one of: contrast and brightness in the first portion, but not filter the image of the second portion of the object; and the processor causing the image of the work site, with the filtered first portion and the non-filtered second portion, to be displayed on a display.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the capturing of the image of the work site is performed using a stereo camera, wherein the display is a stereo viewer, and wherein the image of the work site is a three-dimensional image of the work site.
 5. A system comprising: a tool having a working end; an image capturing device disposed to capture an image of a work site, the image of the work site including an image of an object and an image of the working end of the tool, the image of the object including an image of a first portion of the object and an image of a second portion of the object, the first portion of the object being adjacent to or near the tool, and the second portion of the object being the remainder of the object; a display; and a processor programmed to: determine that the tool has been energized for cauterization; and conditioned upon determining that the tool has been energized for cauterization: filter the image of the second portion of the object to generate a filtered image and indicate in the filtered image that the tool is energized for cauterization by desaturation to remove color content in the second portion, but not filter the image of the first portion of the object; and cause the image of the work site, with the filtered second portion and the non-filtered first portion, to be displayed on the display.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the image capturing device comprises a stereo camera, wherein the display is a stereo viewer, and wherein the image of the work site is a three-dimensional image of the work site. 